A fuzzy rock introspection takes hold on “Disco Elysium,” a new track from Alexei Shishkin, who took inspiration from the video game of the same name — acclaimed for its immersive writing and embrace of player choice. Lush piano and twangy guitars build into a contemplative vocal feeling — “I looked around, walked to the mirror” — and ensuing “reptilian brain” refrain (a reference to the game’s protagonist). Textured, warming guitars arrive thereafter, into an ardently commanding second half — where the layered guitars and shimmering piano align beautifully.
Shishkin elaborates further on the track’s inspiration and overall dynamics:
“This song was inspired by the game Disco Elysium, which is maybe the greatest video game ever made. You’re a degenerate, amnesiac detective coming off a crazy bender, and you’re trying to solve a murder that happened in a small post-revolution town. The game covers everything from psychology to politics to lost love to life, death, and introspection. It’s honestly one of the most well-written, exciting things I’ve ever experienced. I play through it every two or three years, and I just so happened to be playing it when we recorded this song, so I wrote about it. Shout-out to Robert Kurvitz who wrote most of that game. (Oh, and PS: in that game, there are four distinct sounds that play representing Intellect, Psyche, Physique, and Motor Skills – as an homage, we run through those samples as part of the first four bars of this song).”
Single Art Credit: Jonjo Hemmens & Jean Zoudi
—
This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
